A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free
by Annilaia
Summary: This is a collection of oneshots while I prepare for greater stories. Mostly in Edward's point of view with strong influences from songs. Now Playing: Jessica's Kitten
1. Cheers Darlin'

**A/N: So... This appears to be the beginning of a collection of oneshots. I've had these in my head for QUITE some time now, so, it's all just a matter of remembering which ones I wanted to write.**

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**C H E E R S D A R L I N'**

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**This is a song by the very talented Damien Rice, about two people who meet in the bar and who hit it off right away. And, as they leave completely wasted, the man offers a cab for the girl, who then accepts it, saying she needs to get home to her boyfriend right away. He'd left there, broken hearted to stay alone in the rain and wonder why he didn't make a better move. If you watch a youtube video, Damien actually _drinks during the song_ just to show you what it's like. So, as you can see, not all oneshots have a happy ending.**

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_Bump._ "Oh, I'm terribly sorry," I splutter quickly, grabbing onto the girl I very nearly knocked down in my haste from the bathroom. She straightens herself up, the skirt from her dress flying around her legs as she spins to face me, wine glass in hand. She looks about ready to open her mouth to say something _really_ rude, but stops herself at the last minute. She freezes, staring almost sleepily into my eyes as the music and the people pump around us. I clear my throat to catch her attention, maybe wake her up. When that doesn't work, I reached out to shake her arm lightly. 

She jumps for a moment and her eyes widen. A lovely blush painted across her cheeks, makes me grin. "Sorry," she says, shakily. "I shouldn't have been in your way." I smile and begin walking with her towards the bar.

"It's entirely my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going." She plops herself down onto a stool and arranges the folds of her skirt around her legs. I sit down in a seat next to her and admire her pretty face while attempting to wave over the bartender.

Something about her beauty is so different and natural, as opposed to the other girls in this town, this busy city. "Fill up this ladies' glass and get the same for me." The barkeeper nods before bustling away to do his work. I turn back to the girl, who is smiling brightly, probably from the prospect of another drink. I'll admit, I'm pretty happy about it as well.

"My name is Bella," she says, holding out a hand. "You really don't need to get me this drink." I chuckle as she scoops up the drink and twists it around in her hand.

"It's no problem," I say. "Anything I can do for a pretty lady. I'm Edward Cullen by the way." She smiles again and nods.

"Yeah, I know who you are. We live in the same apartment complex." Which surprises me, since I am sure I'd remember somebody as beautiful as this girl. "We're across and down a little bit... I've passed you once or twice." I nod now, vaguely remembering a girl.

This tiny tidbit of information sends us into an amazing conversation, topping off each paragraph to each other with another sip of the sweet wine. I feel myself loosening up, getting braver with the things I said around her. I had no idea why someone as wonderful as her was here with me, even if she _is_ a little under the influence.

_Cheers darlin'  
Here's to you and your lover boy  
Cheers darlin'  
I got years to wait around for you  
Cheers darlin'  
I've got your wedding bells in my ear  
Cheers darlin'  
You give me three cigarettes to smoke my tears away  
_

Pretty soon, we're going from deep intellectual conversations to talks about the current media, to discussions on the stupidest subjects imaginable. And all because I wanted to get away from the bathroom. I figure I'm pretty lucky to be sitting here with this beautiful creature, all thanks to my bladder.

I wish that I had known before about Bella. That, maybe if I were a little more attentive I would have noticed her at the complex, I could have talked with her before now instead of late at night in a bar downtown. Bella sighs, pushes her glass away and clutches the side of the bar, leans back and sighs loudly. "That's it for me," she says with a laugh. "I'm cutting myself off." I chuckle. I was watching how her lips moved. They seem so soft and gentle, I can picture them swollen, wish I could make them that swollen.

We stand up and I smile down at her as she moves towards the front door. I throw down a tip and then follow her out the door. Outside we're pressed up against the building, rain is dropping down all around us. She turns to me and smiles up beautifully. Hiding under the awning is a comfortable place to be. We're so close together that I can feel the warmth from her body, still want to have her closer. Suddenly, she giggles and holds on to my hand, drags me out into the rain. I'm laughing, too, while we run down the street, the rain water soaking through our clothes and hair.

Her dress is sopping wet, and I can see the shape of her body through its thin fabric. Every part of my body is screaming out to resist the urge to rush out and sweep her quite literally off her feet. And possibly other things.

I stop, standing close to her and she looks up at me slowly, her brown eyes twinkling orange in the street light above us. I push her wet hair away from her face, feeling her smooth cheeks as they're covered in water. I watch her eyes grow heavy and lidded and just as I'm about ready to lean down to her, she bites her bottom lip and skips away, smiling and laughing devilishly. She leans off the sidewalk, holding out one hand as headlights flash past us.

In no time she hails down a taxi and turns to look at me happily. "It was nice talking with you tonight, Edward," she says. "I really enjoyed it. We'll do it again, right?" I smile and move closer to her. I reach out one hand to touch hers, the one that isn't holding the door open.

"Let's do something right now," I say. "Go to a movie, or a diner, anything. Just don't go, not yet." I can see her move forward, like she's aiming to kiss me, and rather than wait for her this time I think I'd do it myself. I feel myself leaning closer and in the moment that I hesitate, wondering if it's okay, she speaks again.

"I have to get home to Jake," she says.

_And I die when you mention his name  
And I lied, I should have kissed you  
When we were running the rain_

My _entire_ world comes crashing down. I can feel my insides twisting and burning until they're falling down past my knees and my legs feel weak. I smile weakly as she hops into the cab and waves, driving away from me and my war-torn heart.

_She has a boyfriend,_ I think to myself. And why wouldn't she? I mean, that girl is _perfect_. She's beautiful, sexy, smart and funny. She's _everything _I've ever wanted, _will_ ever want. And she's taken. Because I was too much of a self-absorbed idiot to notice someone as amazing as her living so closely to me.

I'm well in to the self-loathing bit before I realise I've been walking the entire time. I'm a few streets down, heading towards my apartment complex. Which is where Bella probably just arrived, her boyfriend waiting for her. I groan in frustration again, clenching my hands into fists in my pockets.

_I should have kissed her,_ I tell myself over and over again. _Even if she's with someone, even if it would never happen again; I should have kissed her._ My lips and mouth are aching for a taste or feel of Bella's lips, and I can't get the picture of them out of my mind.

I round the corner of an intersection and see a pair of headlights head down the hill towards me. My heart flops, hopes that maybe she's coming back, but that's just wishful thinking. She's got Jake waiting for her at home. Stupid, attentive, opportunity-seizing, girlfriend-having Jake. I'm grumbling insults the entire time that pair of headlights pulls to the side of the road and allows someone to leave the backseat. I glance up, out of reflex to seeing motion and watch the figure running across the street, illuminating in the streetlight above me.

_I die when he comes around  
To take you home  
I'm too shy  
I should have kissed you when we were alone_

Bella's panting as she stands close by me, and my heart seriously goes into overtime. She smiles at me and sighs. I wait patiently for her to say whatever it is she's come here to say.

"I'm sorry," are the first words from her mouth. "I shouldn't have left like that. I really enjoyed myself, and I wanted to go somewhere to you, and I didn't actually want to go home. It was really rude of me, and I'm sorry." My mouth is covering hers, giving her barely enough time to finish her sentence.

My hand runs over her back to hold her body closer to mine as my lips move quickly against her own. I'm so freaking _happy_ to feel her kissing me back. It is the best feeling in the entire world. Then, my stupid consience kicks in, reminding me that somewhere Jake is watching the clock, wondering where this goddess is. When I ask Bella about him she pulls back and grins and says "Jake's not my boyfriend." And, I swear to God I die right then from sheer happiness.

"Jake's staying at my house for a while, so that he can get everything together before he proposes to his girlfriend. It's his first time in town so he's staying with--" before she can finish I've crushed my lips on top of hers again. Bella's hands move to my neck, fingering the hair on the back of my head and making my heart go wild.

I use my lips to open her mouth and my tongue immediately runs into hers, massaging and tasting every inch of her. I moan with the pleasure I feel and the sweet taste I get. I feel Bella's lips curl into a smile against my own, and can't fight back my own grin. I quickly pick her up, bringing her closer to me as she wraps her legs around my waist. She's kissing down to me and her hands sliding down the back of my shirt is the best feeling I've _ever_ had. It sends thrills through my entire body. I stop, pinning her against a wall so that I can kiss her cheeks, neck, collar, and then back to her lips; slowly and happily.

I'm the happiest man alive.

Mainly because I know that I'm the _luckiest_ man alive. I'm standing on the side of the road, hailing down a cab to ride home with, with the most beautiful and perfect girl I could ever imagine by my side, and staying there for a very long time.

_Oh what am I? What am I darlin'?  
I got years to wait..._

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**So; after three tries I've FINALLY gotten this up. I wrote this up, originally, in two sittings. and, once I had it all finished I clicked save, and it told me I wasn't logged in, and I had to rewrite it all again. Then, once I had it finished the second time, the same thing happened. So, the third time I saved after every sentence C: hahaha. I guess its for the best, though. Because each time I had to start over I found more things to add to it, and now it's just better. **

**Next is 'Jessica's Kitten'. Then, it's 'Hey There Bella' and 'Twilight' hehe. Actually, I'm pretty sure they're all in Edward's point of view. I have a lot of fun writing him, and I find that everything is in Bella's point of view, so it's all been done before! **


	2. Jessica's Kitten

**I've had this idea in my head for over a year. It started when I first got my own kitten and she was a real handful and pretty scary at times. Of course, since my mind is constantly on Twilight I thought: what if Jessica went away and Bella had to take care of her cat...**

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**J E S S I C A 'S K I T T E N**

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My cell phone vibrated in my pocket as I was pulling back into town, Forks, heading home after a long hunting trip. I flipped it out of my pocket, smiling widely when I saw the name on the screen. 

_Bella._

"Mmmyello?" I answered playfully after pressing the phone to my ear. I was surprised to hear Bella sounding so distressed and desperate.

"Edward?" she called breathlessly. "I need your help, _very_ badly. It's really important, can you get here? I don't know who else to call."

"I'm turning down your street," I said calmly and hung up the phone. I sped up as I rounded the corner to Bella's lonely street and stopped on the sidewalk next to her driveway. I was out of the car and up to her door faster than humanly possible, but still slightly outside of the faster-than-a-speeding-bullett barrier. I knocked on the door and then opened it up, letting myself in as it was just Bella home.

"Edward?" I heard her voice call out, almost frighteningly.

"I'm here," I called back. She came around the corner, panting heavily and clutching something small, orange, and fluffy in her arms. I could see two small arms with vicious claws desperately reaching up her shoudler to break free from her grasp. "What the hell is that?" were the next words from my mouth. My voice grew higher, too, which definitely helped me trying to sound brave. I don't know if you picked up on the sarcasm there, or not.

"It's a kitten!" Bella announced a little more happily now that the creature had unlatched itself from her flesh. "I'm taking care of Jessica's cat while she's gone. Lauren had her, but couldn't keep her, so I have her until Jessica gets back this evening. The orange ball of fluff had now turned its head and was looking at me with big, blue eyes. It seemed harmless, and adorable, enough that I thought this might not be so bad. After all, it was too small to be the least bit tempting, and even if I wanted to eat it, it wouldn't taste very good.

"His name's Percival, and he's only a month old, isn't he sweet?" Percival, eh? Well young lad, it seems as if you and I will need to coexist in my girlfriends house for a while. I smiled widely at the cute animal and stepped forward, hoping not to startle him and reached out to pet the soft fur.

Which was when his eyes blackened and a vicious snarl ripped from his mouth. He hissed, spat, and used his claws as mountain climbing tools up Bella's sweater and onto her shoulder, peeking from behind her neck to glare and growl at me before.

I had never, _ever_ seen a cat act this way.

Bella stared at me blankly, her hands still held up, holding nothing in her arms. "Well," she said quietly. "I guess animals are smart enough to stay away from you." I frowned at that.

"I don't want to eat him!" I claimed to defend myself. Bella smiled beautifully at me.

"Oh I know, dear. He's just scared you will." I chuckled at her then. She moved into the kitchen, the cat turning his head to watch me, eyes still as black as coal.

"Why did you sound so desperate on the phone," I called after her. "You seem to be handling this okay." Bella laughed bitterly from behind the counter, turning to look at me angrily.

"Edward, I've never been allowed to have a pet. I have no idea how to take care of a kitten! He's so young, and unable to do things. I have to drop him in the litterbox because he can't make it to the laundry room." I let out a loud snort of laughter at this. And, while it was pretty rude, I couldn't help myself. It was comical that she was calling me, _a vampire_, to help her take care of an _animal!_

"Bella, I have no idea what to do with a pet. I only know how to eat them." I watched her face pale at this as the cat happily jumped onto the counter with a soft _thunk_. "I'm not going to eat him, I've told you that already." Bella's lips twitched into a smile.

"I know, Edward, but I didn't know who else to ask. You're the only person I'd want to see anyway. And, I thought that it was pretty common knowledge what to do with a kitten. I mean, you've been around for a while, so you're _sure_ to know!" I pretended to be hurt that she was calling me old, but the truth was that I still found it a little bit strange, and funny, that she wasn't repulsed by the idea of my age.

"Quit picking on how old I am," I said, sticking out my bottom lip and screwing up my face to look upset. I stepped around the counter to face her, and barely paid attention to the cat jumping up on its toes and sticking its back high in the air.

Bella laughed and smiled brightly, beautifully. "Y'old geezer. I bet you're wise in the ways of the world. Or, back in the day cats weren't even domesticated animals!" I actually did laugh then and moved forward, reaching out to press her closer to me.

I was leaning down, closing my eyes slowly to finally get that welcome back kiss I'd been wanting since I left, when there was a loud, blood curdling screeching sound and something jumped onto my back. Bella let out a yelp and I could barely feel somthing clutching onto my clothes.

"Percival!" Bella yelled and I turned around so that she could pry him off my shirt. Thankfully I'm made of rock... so I didn't really feel anything. The cat may have chipped off a nail in my back, though.

"It's alright Bella," I said, rather unhappily. "It's the cats natural instinct to attack me, or try and protects itself, and you. However you want to look at it."

"I know, but I still really don't know how to take care of this thing," she said helplessly as it squirmed to get back onto the floor. I smiled and pulled her into a quick hug, before Percival could come up with another plan of attack.

"How about I'll get it his food ready and you go try and play with him. Or something." Bella smiled and nodded, hurrying into the living room where she began wiggling around a toy with an irritating bell at the end. The cat loved it, of course. When I opened the can of cat food there was a strange gurgling sound and then I felt something climbing up my leg, my shirt and finally onto my shoulder. Percival jumped onto the counter then and began digging into the food. I guess he didn't hate me completely. Which wasn't true because when I went to pet him his head shot up and he hissed loudly, eyes still black. I backed out of there quickly.

And, that was our afternoon. We ran from the tiny kitten who brought fear to our hearts with a look. Charlie didn't come home; I'm certain he knew there was a demonic cat here and saved himself. Good man. There were a few times when we locked ourselves in the bathroom. Not only to get alone together for a brief few moments, but to get away from the feline.

I swear, I actually had scratch marks. I did everything I could to make sure Bella didn't get hurt, which only made the cat more angry. We were so thankful to hear Jessica at the door that I raced to pick up the litterbox and food. Jessica was having a heartfelt reunion with her darling Percival, who was all purring and cute, big blue eyes, the whole adorable package.

Jessica thanked us and we gave her father the cats' things, as she had her hands full, I'm sure. We stood in the doorway and watched as they went down the driveway. I was mostly waiting for the kitten to bite her ears off. Right before the cat got into the car I heard his purring stop, and he turned his head to look at us, eyes black and growling.

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**What an evil cat... My cat actually does latch herself into me, and when she was a kitten she climbed up my entire body, from my feet to my shoulders where she sat down and purred like she hadn't just stabbed fifty places in my body.**

**Sorry its short and pointless. But, the next oneshot is long and beautiful. Not to mention, I'll be writing a chapter of Casualties tomorrow. You're all going to hate me so. much.**

**I'd also like to point out now, that I only write AU Twilight. I don't really do New Moon or Eclipse. I haven't written any for it, and I don't plan on it. I find it hard to keep up with everything that happens in them, and all the themes written about them, so I stick to what I know, which are the Twilight. And I like to think I'm good at them. So, please review and look out for the next one!**


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